Category: RECIPES

NEAPOLITAN CAKE ~ BLOG 366.362

Why have one flavor when you can have three? Neapolitan bundt cake is a tribute to nostalgic classic Neapolitan ice cream from childhood. It was a family favorite with a flavor for everyone in the family. I was never a single flavor girl. I always ate a mix of all three flavors together.

This bundt cake is dense but soft, similar to a pound cake in texture with strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate layers of soft and fluffy cake and all three flavors – strawberry (sweet), vanilla (basic), and chocolate (deep and rich) are all made from the same batter, making this cake much easier than it looks. But, with just a few additions for the sweet strawberry layer and the deep rich chocolate layer combined with the base vanilla flavor it all balances out! Not the best picture, but the flavor made up for it!

VANILLA CAKE
1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
3 LARGE eggs, room temperature
2 and 1/4 cups AP flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup full fat or whole milk
2 tablespoons full fat sour cream

  • Grease and line three 6-inch round baking pans.
  • Preheat oven to 350 (320 convection).
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
  • Sift in flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Add milk and sour cream and beat on a low speed until just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX!!!!!
  • Divide batter evenly into three bowls.

STRAWBERRY CAKE
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
Pink food gel or food coloring

  • Add strawberry extract to one bowl and a few drops of pink food gel and stir together.

CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon milk

  • Add the cocoa powder and milk to another bowl, stirring until smooth.
  • Leave the final batter as is for the vanilla layer.

 

  • Carefully pour each batter, one layer at a time, into prepared cake tins.
  • Bake cakes 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Carefully remove the cakes and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
1 cup or 2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
5 cups powdered sugar
3–4 tablespoons WHOLE milk, room temperature

  • Beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the vanilla.
  • Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
  • Add a tablespoon of milk as needed.
  • Continue until you have used all the icing sugar and milk and the frosting is smooth and creamy.
  • Use a serrated knife to trim tops of cakes to even them out.
  • Place one cake on a small cake board, then cover the top with buttercream.
  • Place the second cake on top. Cover top with buttercream.
  • Place the third cake on top.
  • Cover the entire cake, top and sides, with remaining buttercream. 
  • Use a cake scraper to remove excess buttercream on the sides.

MOONSHINE FRUITCAKE ~ BLOG 366.361B

I KNOW, I know not everyone likes fruitcake and fruitcake has gotten a bad name over the years. Some even say that fruitcake is the culinary equivalent of receiving socks for Christmas. BUT, if you are willing to try it, this fruitcake will put all that to rest.  This is my new go to recipe.  I took all the parts from all my other fruitcake recipes and concocted this one. I have since tossed ALL the other recipes.

This fruitcake CANNOT be used as a doorstop because it is so moist, light and fluffy too. Nor will this fruitcake will last long enough to be passed around and down through the years because it is so flavorful.  This picture doesn’t do it any justice, but trust me it is SOOOOOO GOOD!

1/2 cup finely chopped candied red cherries
1/2 cup finely chopped candied green cherries
1/2 cup finely chopped candied lemon
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger
1 cup golden raisins
2+ tablespoons coconut rum*
2+ tablespoons brandy*
2+ tablespoons spiced apple moonshine*

  • Toss fruit pieces together with the alcohol and soak for 24 hours. The fruit will soak up the alcohol and make an ooey gooey yummy mess. You can soak for up to a week, adding more of your favorite alcohol each day 😀

1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup AP flour

  • Toss nut pieces with the flour.
  • Toss nut mixture with the ooey gooey fruit mess mixture.
  • Set aside.

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons QUALITY cinnamon
1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice

  • Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
  • Set aside.

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups finely granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups applesauce ***
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Grease and flour a 10 tube pan.**
  • Cream the butter.
  • Add the sugar and blend until uniform in color.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  • Add the applesauce and vanilla until well blended.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well blended.
  • Fold in fruit and nut mixture until uniform in consistency.
  • Spoon into prepared pan(s) of your choice.
  • Bake 60-65 minutes or until tester comes out clean. If using many smaller pans or papers be sure and spray them well and begin checking at the 30 minute mark for doneness.
  • Cool for 15 minutes on wire rack BEFORE inverting or removing from pan!

NOTES

  • *Change up the flavor choice of your liking.
  • ** I like to use many little loaf pans or paper rounds when I make this recipe for neighbor gifts.
  • ***This year I substituted a walnut fig rum for all the other alcohols and was out of applesauce and substituted a jar of pumpkin apple butter and think it was even better!

Original posting December 24, 2016 – updated December 26, 2024

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ROAST CHICKEN with APRICOT HABANERO GLAZE ~ BLOG 366.361

ROAST CHICKEN with APRICOT HABANERO GLAZE Adapted from Adventures in Cooking

APRICOT HABANERO GLAZE
2 tablespoons apricot habanero jam
2 tablespoons avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Mix together all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
  • et aside.

CHICKEN
1/4 cup apricot habanero jam
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon FRESH thyme leaves
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 pound apricots halved and pitted
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced
3-5 pound roasting chicken
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 cups water

  • Preheat the oven to 425°.
  • Adjust rack to lowest position.
  • Mix together the apricot habanero jam, avocado oil, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  • Place the apricot halves and sliced onion in a roasting pan and toss with the jam mixture until coated.
  • Spread the onion slices out so that they make a layer on the bottom of the pan and arrange the apricot halves around the edge of the pan.
  • 
Generously rub the outside and inside of the chicken with the apricot habanero glaze, gently edging your hands underneath the skin of the chicken breast to get the mixture underneath the skin as well.
  • Place in the center of the pan.

  • Stuff the cavity with the sprig of rosemary and tie the legs together using a piece of cooking twine.
  • Pour the 2 cups of water into the pan around the chicken.
  • Tent the pan with tin foil, ensuring that it is secured and closed on all four sides, but poke a small 1 inch hole in it to allow excess steam to escape.
  • Make sure the tent does not touch the actual skin of the bird! This step is VERY important, because if you do not tent the bird with tin foil, it will brown too quickly because of the high sugar content of the glaze, and while the inside of the bird will still be moist and tasty, the outside will look *quite* crispy.

  • Roast for 1 hour, basting halfway through.
  • At the 40-minute mark, remove the tin foil, reduce the oven temperature to 375 and cook another 15 minutes or so until the thigh joint measures 165°.
  • Remove from the oven and allow the juices to cool for 15 minutes before serving so that the chicken retains more moisture. If you carve it right away the juices will drain out of the meat too rapidly.
  • Enjoy!


PUMPKIN PULL-APARTS (LOAF) ~ BLOG 366.355

This EASY Pumpkin Pull-Apart Loaf starts with canned biscuits for an easy breakfast recipe, but no one will even know that. It’s like having pumpkin pie for breakfast! And it can easily be made into muffins! I use my mini-cheesecake pan that makes them easy to get out of the pan. The glaze is great on it, but COMPLETELY optional as they are perfect alone!

EASY PUMPKIN PULL-APART LOAF/MUFFINS

BREAD
3/4 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
1/2 cup granulated sugar divided
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 LARGE egg
1 can 8 count Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (homestyle or buttermilk, NOT flaky)
1 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Spray an 8×4 or 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Stir together the pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and egg. Set aside.
  • Open the can of biscuits and slice each in half horizontally.
  • Stir together remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
  • Coat each slice of raw biscuit dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • Lay one slice of dough flat. Spread some pumpkin mixture on top, then place another biscuit piece on top. Add more pumpkin mixture and continue stacking, spreading, and layering until you’re out of biscuits and pumpkin. Place carefully into the pan.
  • Bake for about 20-25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is cooked through.
  • Cool before glazing.

NOTE: To make this recipe as muffins I used 5 pieces of biscuits in a mini cheesecake pan or a texas muffin size pan.

GLAZE (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk

  • To make the glaze: whisk the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and heavy whipping cream until a smooth sauce forms.
  • Drizzle over loaf, pull apart, and serve.
  • Store loosely covered for up to 2 days.

NOTES:

  • The center shouldn’t be raw, but will be moist and gooey.
  • If the top starts to brown too fast, cover with foil and reduce oven temperature to 325°.

RB’S BAKED BEANS ~ BLOG 366.354

As everyone knows I am NOT fond of fast food of ANY kind, but I do love me an occasional Beef ’n’ cheddar with some Arby’s sauce. I recently was FINALLY able to recreate the Arby’s sauce on a homemade level and have now made a baked bean dish around it.

Now for a little trivia to go with the recipe. The name Arby’s is a phonetic representation for the brothers Forestt and Leroy Raffle, aka the Raffle Brothers because the name they wanted, BIG TEX, for their business was already taken.

RB’s BAKED BEANS

2 cans white beans (navy or cannellini), drained and rinsed
1 jar dried beef, diced
1 Vidalia onion, chopped small
4 slices bacon, diced and cooked crisp
1 package ALL beef hotdogs, cut into bite sized pieces
Double batch Arby’s sauce (see below)
Corn Bread, optional

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Cook hotdog pieces until crisp on the edges.
  • Add onions to pan and saute until softened.
  • Mix everything together in a prepared 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish.
  • Bake 1 hour.
  • Serve over corn bread.

NOTE: Dried beef can be traded out for 1 pound lean ground round that has been browned and drained of excess grease.

ARBY’S SAUCE
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4-6 tablespoons water

4-5 drops Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • Combine all together in a small sauce pan.
  • Simmer on low 20 minutes, whisking periodically, especially the last 10 minutes.
  • Keep refrigerated.

ROAST TURKEY BREAST ~ BLOG 366.352

I have a NEW toy and I LOVE it! I’m updating many of my instant and crock pot recipes and getting rid of ALL my old appliances! Not a great picture, but the flavor made up for that! Tender, juicy and super flavorful!

ROAST TURKEY BREAST

3 Pound Boneless Turkey Breast
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped lemon thyme
2 tablespoons butter, divided
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Coat turkey breast with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
  • Season well with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Place the turkey breast in the basket of the Ninja Foodi.
  • Cook at 350° for 20 minutes.
  • Carefully turn the turkey breast, coat it again with remaining melted butter.
  • Sprinkle with chopped lemon thyme.
  • Cook for an additional 30 minutes, making sure internal temperature is 165°.
  • Rest 10-15 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.

CLASSIC OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES ~ BLOG 366.348

CLASSIC OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES adapted from Melissa Clark

Chewy, slightly spicy, yet crisp around the edges with a hint of butterscotch from the DARK brown sugar makes these a fall favorite for our family.

1 cup (2 sticks) UNSALTED butter, softened
1 cup packed DARK brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 LARGE eggs
1 tablespoon PURE vanilla extract
1 ½ cups AP flour
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon QUALITY ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon FRESH grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom or ground ginger
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
¼ cup MALIBU coconut rum
1 ½ cups golden (or regular) raisins

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Pour rum over raisins and let sit 10-15 minutes.
  • Butter two large cookie sheets, or line them with parchment paper or silicone liners.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until creamy.
  • Add brown and granulated sugars, then beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
  • Add vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
  • Set mixer on low speed, and beat flour mixture into the butter mixture. 
  • Drain excess rum from raisins.
  • Stir in oats and raisins.
  • Spoon out dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.
  • Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 9 to 13 minutes. Centers will still be quite soft, but they will firm up as the cookies cool.
  • Cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

CRAZY PIZZA BREAD ~ BLOG 366.347

I adapted this version of Crazy Pizza Bread from Sandra at Full Bellies Happy Kids who adapted it from The Ivory Hut

Sandra said that the first thing that came to her mind was, WHY didn’t I think of that?. I have to concur!!!! This is sooooooooo simple and beyond delicious! Hubby gave it a HUGE seal of approval. I like to make these individually like the pasties we used to get back east. Sometimes I over fill them LOL 😂

CRAZY PIZZA BREAD
1 teaspoon yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon FRESH ground kosher salt
(2 cups favorite toppings, chopped)
1/2 cup small chopped sausage pieces
1/3 cup small diced pepperoni
1/3 cup small diced red onion
1/3 cup small diced marinated artichokes, drained well
1/4 cup (rehydrated, but drained) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
1/4 cup small diced red pepper
1 SMALL bunch green onions, chopped
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon avocado oil

  • Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a bowl and let sit 3 minutes until foamy.
  • Add flour and salt, mixing by using a mixer, spoon, or your hands JUST until it comes together.
  • Add in the toppings and combine well. Dough will be tacky, dust with a bit of extra flour if it feels too tacky.
  • Let rise for about an hour at room temperature.
  • Place in the refrigerator to rise for another hour.
  • Take the dough out of the refrigerator.
  • On a floured surface roll out into a rectangle about 11×17”.
  • Sprinkle cheese over top.
  • Evenly layer the “toppings” or innards over the cheese.
  • Fold along the long side, like an envelope.
  • Seal sides so cheese is not exposed.
  • Let rest while you preheat oven to 450°.
  • After oven comes to temperature wait 15-20 minutes before baking pizza.
  • Bake the bread 25-30 minutes on a pizza stone or baking sheet until golden brown.
  • Brush the top with olive oil a few minutes before removing from oven.
  • Let rest on a wire rack to cool 5 minutes before slicing.

LAYERED SALAD ~ BLOG 366.345

With all the potential possibilities this recipe looks like a football play at times, but it’s actually a salad I first had at a church potluck many years ago. I have made it ever since and adapted it time and time again to accommodate our tastes.

It adapts easily and lends itself to many a theme. When I make it Mexican I add rinsed and drained black beans and I’ll use a frozen Mexican corn instead of the peas. I’ll also use a taco blend grated cheese instead as well as adding taco seasoning to the dressing.

You can also make this fruity by using fruit flavored yogurts instead of the mayonnaise and substituting frozen fruit for the frozen peas.

Maybe replace a bit of the torn lettuce with spinach, add some hard boiled eggs slices, pickled beets and/or add some mustard to the dressing layer. Be creative and use your imagination to add your favorites and make your own combinations.

LAYERED SALAD

DRESSING
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Scant 1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Whisk together until smooth. Set aside.

SALAD
4 cups torn iceberg lettuce (I like a combo of romaine and butter lettuce)
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped (I like a combo of red and green onions)
1 small red pepper, cleaned and chopped
1 small green pepper, cleaned and chopped
1 (10 ounce) bag frozen peas
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup craisins
3/4 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cup FINELY grated cheddar (I like a combo of star cheddar and Monterey Jack)

  • Layer accordingly with the lettuce on the bottom and cheese on top.
  • Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
  • Chill 6-12 hours or even overnight.
  • Toss and serve immediately.

NOTE:

  • While it takes a bit more time, you can make this in individual bowls for company presentation.
  • You can also add crispy onions or croutons just before serving for a crispy element.

SLOPPY JOE SLIDER BAKE ~ BLOG 366.341

SLOPPY JOE SLIDER BAKE

1 package Kings Hawaiian rolls
12 slices cheddar cheese
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can sloppy Joe sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
FRESH ground salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Don’t separate into individual rolls. Cut entire package in half horizontally.
  • Arrange bottoms in greased 13×9 baking dish.
  • Top with 6 cheddar cheese slices.
  • In a large skillet brown beef and onions over medium heat until crumbly. Drain off excess grease.
  • Return meat to pan.
  • Add sauce, brown sugar, liquid aminos and season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Simmer 2-3 minutes until well blended.
  • Spoon mixture over roll bottoms.
  • Top with remaining cheese slices.
  • Add roll tops.

GLAZE
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup minced onion

  • Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, mustard, liquid aminos and garlic powder until well blended.
  • Brush roll tops with glaze.
  • Sprinkle with the minced onion.
  • Bale 15-30 minutes until cheese is melted and sandwiches are warmed through. Cut and separate into individuals and serve.

LIGHTHOUSE INN LEGENDARY POTATOES ~ BLOG 366.340

Chef Leon “Wally” Walden worked at the Lighthouse Inn for 50 years. He was known for many dishes, but these potatoes in a rich cream sauce topped with golden crumbs were probably one of the most beloved “LEGENDARY” dishes and a local favorite. This recipe was adapted by an America’s Test Kitchen test cook by adding the baking soda to help keep the sauce from breaking. I added the onion powder and sliced onions. They remind me of half mashed and half scalloped – truly one of our family favorites.

LIGHTHOUSE INN (New London, Connecticut) LEGENDARY POTATOES (adapted from Chef Leon Walden)

Prep time 10 minutes
Simmer time 25 minutes
Bake time 20 minutes
Rest time 10 minutes
Total time 1 hour 5 minutes

3 cups half & half
2 1/2 pounds (3-4 potatoes) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 small onion, sliced
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
11 tablespoons butter
2 ounces FRESHLY ground Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs

  • Whisk together the half and half, baking soda, onion powder, 2 teaspoons of FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • In a large pot or sauce pan combine 2 1/2 cups of the half & half, potatoes chunks, onion slices, baking soda, onion powder, 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil over medium high heat, but immediately lower to a simmer.
  • Simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender. Stir often to avoid sticking and burning.
  • While potatoes are simmering, preheat oven to 375°.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in 9×13 baking dish. Brush butter up all 4 sides.
  • In a small bowl melt 4 tablespoons butter.
  • Add Parmesan cheese, Panko crumbs, pepper and remaining salt.
  • When potatoes are tender mix in remaining half & half, 6 tablespoons of butter, stirring gently until butter is melted.
  • Arrange potatoes in prepared baking dish.
  • Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over top.
  • Bake 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are hot, bubbly and browned.
  • Remove potatoes from the oven and cool 10 minutes before serving.

NOTE:

  • Can easily be made in individual ramekins for more elegant presentation.
  • Works well with Gluten Free bread crumbs instead of Panko crumbs.

MEAT LOVERS SAVORY BREAD PUDDING ~ BLOG 366.338

This is a versatile recipe that can be dressed up or down. Change the cheese flavor, change the bread flavors, add seasonings that are special to your family, add or delete proteins…

MEAT LOVERS SAVORY BREAD PUDDING
6 LARGE eggs
2 1/2 cups WHOLE milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
FRESH ground black pepper
12 cups cubed artisan bread
1 1/2 cups cubed ham steak
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar OR pepper jack cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Grease 13×9 baking dish.
  • In a LARGE bowl whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, mustard and seasonings until well blended.
  • Fold in bread cubes, 1 1/4 cup of each cheese, onions and meat. Set aside for 15 minutes to rest.
  • Gently toss bread mixture again and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake uncovered 45-55 minutes until casserole is puffed and center is clean when tested with a butter knife.
  • Rest 10 minutes before serving.